Thed Björk leads the first WTCR practice session in a damp Morocco
Reigning WTCC drivers’ champion Thed Björk was fastest of all in the first free practice session for the World Touring Car Cup on a wet track in Marrakech, leading team-mate and team principal Yvan Muller in a Hyundai 1-2.
Björk’s moved to the top of the time sheets at the half-way mark in the new Hyundai i30 N TCR, displacing the early pace-setter Rob Huff in his Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, with the Briton ending the session third after a flurry of final improvements at the circuit dried out.
Fourth fastest was Pepe Oriola in the Campos Cupra TCR, with reigning TCR International Series champion Jean-Karl Vernay the best-placed of the Audis in fifth, with the top 12 all covered by less than a second.
A number of cars slipped off track and down the escape roads in the tricky conditions, including Benjamin Lessennes in the Boutsen Ginion Racing Honda Civic, Frédéric Vervisch in the Comtoyou Racing Audi RS 3, Jean-Karl Vernay in the WRT Audi and local hero Mehdi Bennani in the Sebastien Loeb Racing Volkswagen Golf.
Zsolt Szabo was the only driver to damage his car, clipping the rear of his new Zengõ Cupra TCR and braking his suspension, which caused him to later run into the barriers as the chequered flag fell.
WRT’s new signing Gordon Shedden had limited running in the session in his Audi RS 3 LMS and suffered with brake issues, ending up 24th on the time sheets with no competitive time set.
The second and final 30-minute practice session gets underway at 11:00 WEST (12:00 CET).
